Apr. 16, 2026
California's 1967 wiretap law is being weaponized against Main Street
A 1960s wiretapping statute, the California Invasion of Privacy Act, is being stretched to treat routine website tools like cookies as "illegal wiretaps," fueling a wave of costly litigation against businesses and nonprofits and underscoring the need for SB 690 to restore the law's original purpose and align it with modern privacy rules.
Brandon Reilly
Partner and Leader of the Privacy and Data Security Group
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Email: breilly@manatt.com
A criminal wiretapping statute from 1967, the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), is now being bent beyond its text and intended purpose to go after businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies for operating everyday website technologies like cookies and pixels. These tools are being recast as "illegal wiretaps," with attorneys arguing that their mere presence can trigger penalties of $5,000 per person, per violation. Over 3,000 businesses have been sued in the past two...
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